The ability to manipulate selected portions of text in a document is a common feature of word processing programs. Presently, there are word processing programs which allow a user to select a string of text and manipulate it in some way, such as moving it to a new location on the document, copying it to a new location on the document or deleting it from a document. The problem with such prior art systems is that they require a user to go through several time-consuming steps before the text manipulation is actually carried out.
For example, to move a string of text from one location to another in a document using a typical prior art system, a user is required to 1) select the string of text to be manipulated; 2) delete or “cut” the selected string of text from the location using a combination of keys or by selecting the delete or cut command; 3) move the insertion point to the new location on the document where the selected string of text is to be moved; and 4) insert or “paste” the selected string of text to the new location using a combination of keys or by selecting the insert or paste command. Similar steps are required for copying text from one location to another in a document.
In word processing systems such as Microsoft Word, that support mouse operations, a user may select text with a mouse by positioning the point at the beginning of the selection, depressing a predefined mouse button, dragging the insertion point to the end of the selection while holding down the mouse button and then releasing the mouse button. After selection, cut and paste operations, such as described above, may be performed on the selected text.
The prior art systems require a user to be familiar with a variety of function keys and edit commands. When the user is making numerous revisions to a document, it is inconvenient to perform so many steps in order to move or copy text. The user is forced to perform awkward key combinations, such as depressing the Shift key and the Delete key at the same time. No technique is known in the word processing environment for moving or copying text without going through time-consuming cut and paste type operations or performing awkward key combinations.